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Mike Sanford was fired Sunday two seasons after leaving his role as Notre Dame's offensive coordinator. Tennessee OC Tyson Helton has emerged as the front-runner to replace him, sources said.

Helton, 41, just finished his first season as Tennessee's offensive playcaller and quarterbacks coach under Jeremy Pruitt.

Helton, the younger brother of USC head coach Clay Helton, was previously on the USC staff before joining Pruitt on the Vols' staff. Helton spent the 2014 and 2015 seasons at Western Kentucky as the Hilltoppers' offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.

Western Kentucky athletic director Todd Stewart announced Sunday that the school had fired Mike Sanford, who was 9-16 in two seasons there.